Container closure



F. v. SEVERINv CONTAINER cLosURE Filed Jan.V '7. 194]..Y

July 31, 1945.

Patented 'July 3 1, 1945-` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER CLOSURE Fred V. Severin, East Cleveland, Ohio Application January 7, 1941, Serial No. 373,445

y 1 claim.

This invention relates to an improved closure for sealing jars, bottles or the like. This therefore is the general object of the present invention.

- construction, economical to manufacture, and efiicient in operation.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a closure for jars, bottles and the like, which closure may be readily applied, requiring only a single downward motion and no subsequent deformation such as spinning or crimping.

Another object is to provide a closure for bottles, 'jars and the like which, when in position on a jar, bottle or the like is constantly urged into sealing engagement with the mouth of the -jar or other container by the sealing member.

Other objects of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description reference being had to a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing. The novel features of the invention will be summarized in the claim.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical section of a bottle and closure therefor prior to the applicationsof the closure; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the closure in positionon the bottle; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary View of a 5' having the usual enlarged lip portion 2I.

th'e band is as great or greater than the horizontal dimension of the cross-section.

A more or less conventional bottle or. jar is illustrated at. as being provided lwith a neck I'he outer surface 22 of this lip may be generally verticalas illustrated in Fig. 1 or rounded as in Fig. 3 to form a downwardly facing inclined portion 22', and if desired, may be slightly roughened or cirl0 cumferentially ridged. This surface 22 may join the end surface 23, surrounding the mouth of the bottle, by a smooth curve 24 as is desirable in glass" containers, for example.

As most clearly seen in Fig. 5, the outer diaml eter of the lip 2l of the container is slightly 20 band contacts the end of the bottle, as at the 25 face A-B is turned inwardly against the lip pormodified form of the cap and also of the bottle;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the cap; and Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are diagrammatic illustrations of three progressive stages in the application of the closure to the bottle.

As shown in the drawing, my improved closure comprises the cap I 0 which may conveniently be formed as a sheet metal cup having a disc-like top II provided with a depending annular skirt I2. Near the lower edge of the skirt an inwardly extending downwardly facing shoulder I3 or I3" is formed, as by laterally offsetting the lowermost portion I4 of the skirt or, as shown in Fig.

3, by an inwardly protruding annular bead I3.

obtained when the vertical or axial dimension ofregion 24, and its further downward motion is arrested.' The shoulder I3 or I3",4 however, by its engagement with the edge C,fdrives the body of the band downwardly until the originally lower tion of the bottle and the originally upper face CD is turned outwardly againstthe skirt I'2 of the cap. 'Ihe position of the parts is at this time as shown in Fig. 6, where it will be seen that the band has been turned through an angle oi approximately 90 degrees and is under high compression in a state'of instability. The dimension E ofthe unstressed band of Fig. 5 has been greatly reduced to E in Fig. 6 and can expand toward its normal value by subsequent upward or downward movement of the cap. In capping the bottle the movement, of course, is continually downward and upon reaching and passing the point of instability the band expands forcibly to 40 snap the cap to the limit of its movement. In the the cap but it also continually urges the cap into tight sealing engagement with the lip of the bottle. This is due to the fact that the band is still in a greatly stressedcondition with the dimension fr, E unable to regain the normal value E. The 1" disc 30 adapts itself `to any irregularities in the surface 23 and serves to prevent contact of the liquid in the bottle with the band l 5.'

Removal of the cap, when desired, may be easily effected by the fingers without requiring any mechanical device, or by the, application of the' usual hooked type of bottle opener which may conveniently engage the lower edge of the skirt -portion I4. By thus rocking-the cap about an opposite point of the bottle lip it may be pried of! relatively easily although the holding means' effectively resists a straight pulling force in an axial direction or dislodgement due to expansion of the contents.

I claimz- 1 In combination, a container, a closure therefor wall, said wall having an inwardly extending downwardly facing shoulder and an inwardly extending upwardly facing shoulder thereabove, a resilient band pfjrectangular cross section l'within the cap and seated against the downwardly facing shoulder, said band being made of a composicomprising a cap having a top and an .annular tion material to frictionally engage the surface of the container and the cap without slipping therealong, the axial dimension of said cross section of the band being greater than its radial dimension, the container having an annular lip portion the external diameter of which is greater than the normal internal diameter of the resilient band, but smaller than the internal diameter of the annular wall of the cap, said lip having a downwardly facing portion, a gasket within the cap bearing againstthe top thereof and adapted to abut the top oi the container in the closed position of the capwhereby upon application of thecap to the container, the band will be turned by the downwardly facing shoulder through approximately a right angle and will then expand obliquely downwardly between the upwardly Iacing shoulder of the closure and the downwardly facing portion of the container lip to hold the cap on the container with said gasket in sealing en- :agement with'the top of the container lip.

' FRED V. SEVERIN. 

